A Diamond In The Rough
by G-girls
Summary: Jafar is in hell. Or...he was, until Jasmine and Aladdin's daughter accidentally brings him back to life and thus triggers events that none of them could even dream of. Reviews are appreciated!
1. Prologue

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: After six years, I finally decided to go back and revamp/finish writing my **_**Aladdin **_**fan fiction "A Diamond In The Rough". It got many good reviews at the time, but looking it over, I've realized I need to re-write this in order for me to feel good about it. So sit, back, relax, and enjoy the new and improved version. 3 **

**DISCLAIMER: Any and all characters pertaining to **_**Aladdin **_**are property of Disney. Faatina and Hana are mine. Please don't steal them, and remember to read and review! **

**PROLOGUE **

_The abyss. _

_Darkness. Crushing, suffocating darkness. It's cold, and merciless. It surrounds everything, everyone. I have been here so long in this darkness that I can barely remember if there was a time when I wasn't here. It feels as if there is no beginning or end to this darkness; it just keeps swallowing souls over and over again._

_Just when I couldn't take it anymore…that's when the fire came._

_Oh, Allah. The fire! It burns me, searing my very soul, and the torment is unbearable. It never stops. Flames constantly wrapping around me, burning, tearing into me…_

_Oh, how the fire hurts…!_

_The others scream in agony. Others just whimper in cry. Even more curse and yell at Allah, blaming him for their plight. Ever trying to find a scapegoat. I keep my mouth shut. I refuse to give Allah satisfaction. I stood by my convictions and only ever did what was in my best interests. Is that something that I must be punished for so harshly? _

_I will not make a sound. My lips stay shut, my jaw clenched. I will take the pain and bear with it, no matter how maddening it gets. After all…there is a sliver of hope._

_I once read in the ancient texts that the damned are not destined to be in Hell forever…not like how the Christians believe. The Jews even believed that it would only last for eleven months. Is it really so? Or will it go on forever, for an indefinite period of time? Or is this the Hindu Hell, where I will receive the punishment of Yama, only to be reborn again?_

"_NO." That voice - that loud, maddening, omnipotent VOICE. It dashes away all of my hopes._

_That's right. I had forgotten. This was Allah's Hell._

_And as the fire tears me apart, I remember: This is MY Hell. _

…_and I don't know how long I'll be in this accursed place. _


	2. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey all! Tiffany again. Started writing chapter one today…and finished it! Buaha. **

**It took me awhile when brainstorming about this to come up with a few things, but with the help of a website I got the inspiration I needed. **

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it! **

**DISCLAIMER: Any and all characters related to _Aladdin_ belong to D!sney. However, the characters Faatina and Hana belong to me. So don't take them! **

**I**

The castle overlooking the city of Agrabah stood proudly. Its gold and white colors shone proudly in the afternoon sun, and many people glanced up at it out of habit, in admiration, and in jealousy for those that dwelled within. It never occurred to any of them that there could be one within who would gaze at them in jealousy. But then again, they were all simple people. After Aladdin had married Jasmine, things had been better than they had before. The poor were getting food now, because those in the royal family gave more than enough money to those in need. Children whose parents had passed away or abandoned them were taken in by an orphanage that had been opened soon after the now Prince and Princess were wed. Everything was peaceful, and that was how they liked it.

Aladdin paced back and forth in front of the throne, his brow furrowed. It was not every day that your daughter was eighteen, and it certainly wasn't every day that suitors would come to visit her, shower her with gifts and doing their best to charm her, only to leave the very same day. But in this household…it was.

'Oh Aladdin, don't worry about it so much,' the Sultan said from where he was sitting on his throne, delicately building an animal tower. 'Remember what happened with Jasmine…she rejected so many suitors until you came along. You can't rush these things; they have to happen over time.'

'I know…' Aladdin stopped pacing and ran his hand through his dark hair, which was beginning to show signs of graying. 'I have to keep telling myself that. I know she can marry whomever she chooses, but I really would prefer her to marry a prince or some kind of government official. At least then I'd know she was taken care of.'

The Sultan chuckled. 'You sound just like I was when Jasmine was eighteen. I was so worried about her…but she found the right man on her own.' He looked up from the tower and gave him a smile. 'Just let things take its course. It will work out on its own.'

Aladdin sighed. 'I suppose you're right. We just can't help but worry…and we don't dare take her outside the castle walls…you remember what happened last time. How she managed to join that slave caravan within twenty minutes is beyond my comprehension. I'm just glad that the guards recognized her as they were leaving.'

The Sultan placed a giraffe on top of an elephant. 'It's hard to keep an eye on her, especially out in those crowded streets. But, you cannot deny the fact that it must be done, especially because she has her mother's beauty. In that situation, you have no one to blame but yourself.'

Aladdin bit his lip. It was true. If he hadn't been so preoccupied by all the people staring at them, he would have realized that his daughter and wandered off, and could have prevented her from nearly getting kidnapped. Guilt began to swell in the pit of his stomach. 'I'm going to go check on her now,' he mumbled, and left the throne room.

The Sultan chuckled again. He could remember the day of his granddaughter's birth like it was yesterday. Her head full of dark hair, bright eyes like her mother's, but with a mischevious gleam that obviously came from her father. She was a blessing to everyone in the household, to everyone in the kingdom. The people were joyous, and gifts from far-off lands arrived to celebrate the birth of the new princess.

He could never forget the happiness he felt for his daughter and son-in-law. Aladdin and Jasmine were thrilled, and gave her as much love as they could possibly give. As a young girl, she was Daddy's little girl, her mother's little angel, and her grandfather's little princess. Everyone seemed to love her. Rajah watched her like a hawk and prevented her from doing anything dangerous, the Genie was the best babysitter Aladdin and Jasmine could ever ask for, Abu was ever her mischevious playmate, and the enchanted carpet that could fly was always there if she were ever to fall. Iago was the only one who kept out of the princess's way, mainly because he just couldn't handle all the hugs she gave him.

But things changed, as everything does eventually. As she got older, she became more rambunctious, and so Aladdin had the guards teach her how to wield a sword as a way for her to get her aggressions out. It worked wonderfully, but Jasmine could sense that although she was happy with her home, her family, she needed more than just that; she needed a girl her own age to be friends with. And so, Aladdin took his daughter to the orphanage, and simply watched her interact with the other girls. She immediately befriended a shy, quiet girl in the corner of the room, and begged her father if they could please, pretty please, bring her home with them. He obliged, and ever since that day, his daughter could be found with this orphaned girl, who, although she was her handmaiden, was her dearest friend.

Then, as she got even older, and more beautiful, the suitors began to come. They had been arriving since the early rain season, and drought season was nearly over now. It had been nearly a year. Aladdin was getting anxious, and the Sultan could even see Jasmine showing signs of worry, but she did her best to hide any concerns she had. He and the Genie did the best they could to reassure the two parents, but to no avail.

The Sultan sighed. He wouldn't be around for very much longer. In fact, he was lucky enough to even be able to see his granddaughter reach the age of eighteen. He would just do the best he could to being a loving father, grandfather, and give advice when needed. Really, they just needed to be patient. Everything would turn out right. There was a man out there that would be able to win her heart; she just hadn't met him yet. They all just needed to be patient. Love would prove itself in time. At least, he hoped so.

'I'm so bored.'

It was true. The daughter of Prince Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, Faatina, was bored. Because of the peaceful environment of Agrabah, nothing bad ever seemed to happen, and that kept everything in monotony. She secretly wished that something interesting would happen…that maybe the grandfather she had never met, who was the King of Thieves, would come and take her away and let her become a thief too, or that maybe a giant sandstorm would come…._anything _to break the monotony of every day life.

Faatina walked back and forth next to the wall in what the Genie referred to as the 'lounging room', her faithful handmaiden and best friend, Hana, sitting in a chair nearby. The princess had inherited her mother's beautiful eyes and long dark hair, but her bangs were messy like her father's. Not that she minded. She really didn't care that she was beautiful. She always thought that Hana, shy, quiet Hana, was far more beautiful than she was. Of course, Hana was the perfect wife for any man. Her hair was cut to be shoulder length, her dark eyes were submissive, and she barely said a word to anyone. The only one that she really talked to was Faatina. The perfect wife…

'You know, Hana,' Faatina said, now idly tugging and twirling the tassles that hung from the lamps hanging from the ceiling, ' you should be the one getting married, not me.'

'May I ask why you say that, m'lady?' Hana asked, confused, watching her friend pace the room.

'I mean…you're the perfect wife. Any guy would love to have you! You should be the one getting these suitors, not me. I'd rather see you be a princess than get married to some jerk who only loves himself.' She stopped her twirling of the tassles and grinned at her friend. 'And then I could come and visit you in your palace. Your husband would probably kick me out though.'

Hana giggled. 'I wouldn't let him.'

'I know you wouldn't. I mean…I'm just saying, Hana. You're very beautiful, you're quiet, submissive…everything a man expects in a woman. I, on the other hand, am loud, speak my mind, and can wield a sword. A man doesn't want that. Hence the reason all of these princes keep leaving. If one of them stayed, maybe I could get them to notice you, and then your life would change for the better. You wouldn't be a handmaiden anymore, think of that! _You'd _be the one with the handmaidens. Wouldn't that be nice?' Faatina asked, resuming her tugging of the tassles.

'I suppose so…' Hana murmured. 'But…I do not wish to leave you, m'lady. I would like to stay here for awhile rather than get married.'

'Hey, that's fine with me. Besides…I'd miss you.' She stopped tugging one of the tassles and twirled it in her fingers.

'…Might I ask, m'lady, why you don't marry the suitors that come to visit?' Hana asked curiously.

'Because they're all the same. They arrive in this big huge spectacular splendor, with all of these riches and gifts, trying to win me over with money and treasure, which is ridiculous, because I've got the exact same things here! And then they try to act charming, but it just doesn't work, because all they talk about is how beautiful I am and then they talk about themselves. They're not intelligent.'

'Oh…I see. M'lady? If so many suitors come to see you, why are you bored?'

'…nothing ever happens. No thieves come to steal our treasure, no assassins come to kill us…it's just monotonous. It's the same thing day after day.' Faatina leaned to the side, pulling the tassle. 'I just wish something interesting would happen for once.'

A loud scraping noise made both girls jump and look around wildly. Faatina let go of the tassle quickly. 'I didn't do it, I swear…'

'M'lady! Look behind you!' Hana pointed towards the wall, rising from her seat. The princess turned around to see part of the wall parted, and a cold draft emitted from it. In all her years living in the palace, she had never seen this.

'It's a…Hana, it's a secret passage! Let's go see where it leads,' Faatina cried enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear.

'I don't know, m'lady…' Hana said in worry. 'What if there's something dangerous in there?'

The princess turned to her friend. 'I know how to fight…all I need is something with a sharp end, and we'll be fine. Now come on…let's go! This should be fun!' And with that, the princess strode forward into the passage way, followed by her reluctant handmaiden.

The brick steps were cold on the girls' feet, and a window nearby illuminated the stairs spiraling upwards. The bricks were dark red, and the princess and her friend slowly made their way upwards; Faatina was filled with excitement over what they might find at the end of the stairway, while Hana felt a growing sense of uneasiness. If there was a secret passageway that was safe, then Faatina would surely have known of it, but she didn't seem to even know that this even existed until a few moments ago.

The princess stopped suddenly in front of a wooden door. 'I wonder what's in there…' she murmured, grasping the handle.

'M'lady…Faatina, we shouldn't be up here…' Hana whispered, her voice echoing off the walls.

'Oh nonsense, don't be silly. This is my family's palace, after all. Everything should be perfectly safe,' she reassured her friend as she pushed the door and it opened with a creak. The two girls entered the room and gazed around in wonder. It was large, and a window let in what little light it could. Hana stood by the door, her uneasiness growing, while Faatina started looking around.

'Wow, look at all this!' The princess declared in delight. There was a table with scrolls and numerous books scatter all over it. There were also several book shelves as well, and in one corner there was another set of stairs leading ever upwards. But the princess's attention was drawn to the many books, scrolls, and strange artifacts scattered throughout the room. As she continued to look around, letting out little cries of delight, Hana left her place by the door and wandered over to a nearby cabinet.

Hana gazed at the contents on the shelves carefully. There were many little bottles, and they were all labeled. Some of them were antidotes for poisons, injuries, illnesses…but others didn't make much sense. The only conclusion she could gather to this strange place was that this was an abandoned lair of a sorcerer, and these were his belongings, and thus they could not be trusted.

Meanwhile, Faatina felt as if she were having the time of her life. She had never seen so many strange things, so many different languages…and she wondered if the old occupant of this room could read all the different languages, could use all of the artifacts. She moved over to the table, flipping through the books and glancing at the scrolls, when she stumbled upon one she could read. The other books and scrolls looked as if each word was written with the utmost care, but this one looked as though the person didn't have a lot of time to write out whatever it was he was copying from. The writing seemed rushed, almost as if they were written feverishly. Her eyes scanned down the page, and she paused. These were spells, incantations for different purposes, and out of all the scrolls that she was to pick up it was this one, the one that would solve all of her problems.

'Hana…you won't believe what I've just found!' Faatina said, turning to her friend, who jumped, Faatina's voice having snapped her out of her reverie. 'I found a spell that's going to solve all of my problems.'

'A…a spell?' Hana repeated, alarmed. 'But…m'lady, you know that sorcery is blasphemous against Allah! It's blasphemy!'

'Don't be so worried…it's for a good cause, and I'm sure Allah can excuse some magic if it's for a good cause,' Faatina said matter-of-factly. 'I can't seem to find a husband on my own, so I'll just summon one. One that's right for me.'

'M'lady, please,' Hana pleaded. 'Let's just leave this place, forget it's here…'

'I've made up my mind, Hana. Now sit back and watch me get myself an intelligent, unique suitor, one that's not like any other!' Faatina's eyes darted down the scroll, finding her place. Hana knew that it was useless to argue with her, that the Princess was too stubborn to care.

Faatina took a deep breath. She may seem calm on the outside, but inside, she was terrified. She knew what the consequences of performing magic would be in the afterlife. She knew that if anyone found out, she would be severely punished, regardless of the fact that she was a member of the royal family. But she was just tired of being courted by princes who were all the same, tired of looking out on Agrabah and seeing weddings being held, knowing that she could never have that because she wasn't willing to change for anyone. She wanted someone who could love her and want her for being the loud girl that she was. And if that meant performing magic and thus doing blasphemy, then so be it.

'_Agreeable to Soma, agreeable to Brahma, arranged by Aryaman, with the unfailing certainty of god Dhatar, bestow upon me good fortune, the acquisition of a husband…living or dead, a suitor like no other!_' She read, her voice echoing along the walls with conviction.

There was silence. Both girls held their breath, Faatina's hands which held the scroll were shaking, and the only sound was the distant bustle of the city. The silence seemed to reign in the room, and both girls waited. They did not know what they were exactly waiting for, but they waited.

The suspense was almost becoming unbearable, but still nothing happened. Finally, Hana sighed in relief. _It didn't work…thank Allah,_ she thought. 'M'lady…it didn't work, and perhaps it is for the best,' she said quietly, turning towards the door.

'Perhaps…' A feeling of great disappointment filled the princess. She had hoped that this way she could have found the right man for her, but apparently Allah had other plans. 'I guess it was stupid of me to try anyway.' Sighing in defeat, she set the scroll down, when something caught her eye.

The floor. There was a circle engraved in the floor, with strange markings inside. What they stood for, she didn't know, but they were beginning to glow black, and the light coming from it was becoming stronger, becoming blacker. 'Hana…do you see that? What…?' Faatina asked, pointing at the floor.

Hana paused at the doorway and just as she turned, the blackness swelled, and black matter burst from the circle like a fountain, the force knocking both of the girls slightly back. Faatina covered her eyes, something that sounded as if she were flying on the enchanted carpet very fast filling the room.

'What did you do?' Hana yelled in terror.

'All I did was read the passage! I didn't know it would do this!' Faatina yelled back. 'All I wanted was a suitor that I could actually get along with!'

As abruptly as the black matter came, it left. Sunlight streamed in from the window, and the only thing that could be heard were the two girls panting in fear and bewilderment. Slowly, Faatina got to her feet and walked over to Hana, helping her trembling friend stand. 'Are you okay?'

Hana nodded numbly, her eyes widened in shock as she stared at something over Faatina's shoulder. 'What is it?' The princess asked, worried. Her handmaiden merely pointed. Faatina turned and nearly dropped to her knees. There, laying on the floor in the middle of the circle engraved in the floor, was a man. He wasn't moving. Faatina didn't know if he was dead or not. Her heartbeat quickening, she grabbed a sheathed sword nearby and slowly walked towards the still man. He had no clothes on, and he was quite thin, but not so thin as that he looked as if he were starving. At any other moment, she would have been blushing like a rose, but all she cared about was whether this strange man was still alive or not.

She glanced up at Hana, who looked as though she wanted to run away. Giving her a reassuring smile, she prodded the still man. He did not move. She prodded him again. He still did not move. _Guess I'll have to get closer…_ Swallowing, Faatina set the sword off to the side, and knelt beside the man. Her hand shaking, she reached out and slowly touched his back. She could feel him breathing. He was all right.

Faatina nodded to Hana, letting her know that the man was alive, and got up, searching through cabinets, looking for clothing. Finally, she found some dark robes, including a hat in a closet, and she took these from it. 'Help me get these clothes on him,' the princess told her terrified handmaiden. She did so, reluctantly, and they clothed the strange man. They were both shaking too hard to care about the fact that there had been a naked man in front of him, or to even take a close look at him.

The princess looked at Hana. 'Hana, you are my best friend. I must ask you now to keep this a secret. We cannot let anyone know about this. Understand?' Hana nodded quickly. 'Now, help me get him to his feet. He's unconscious; we'll take him to my room.'

Hana was too terrified to argue, and helped the princess hoist the man's unconscious body up and began to drag it towards the door. They stepped down the stairs carefully, and as they came to where the secret passage began, Faatina looked around cautiously. No one was about. They quickly left the passage, and Faatina had Hana slide the door shut behind them.

It seemed to take forever, but they dragged him all the way to Faatina's bedroom. As they entered the room, Faatina said, panting, ' Close the door and lock it.' Hana did so, as the princess dragged the unconscious man to her bed. She laid him down on it, panting. 'Do you think anyone saw us?' She asked.

Hana shook her head. 'No one was around. They were all probably patrolling the grounds, and your parents are probably discussing the suitor problem,' she reassured the Princess.

'You mean almost _everyone_ didn't see you,' came a rough squawking voice.

Faatina turned only to find the red and blue parrot Iago perched on her bed. 'Iago! What are you doing…I didn't…'

'You found his lair, I suppose,' the parrot said, gazing down at the man on the bed. He hadn't liked the princess when she was younger, but now that she was older and mature, he liked helping her come up with different ways to reject suitors and they always had a good laugh about it afterwards.

'Whose lair?' Faatina asked, Hana crossing the room to join them.

'Oh come on. Don't tell me you've forgotten the stories that Genie used to tell you when you were a little kid?' Iago asked skeptically.

'What stories? Genie's told me lots of them.'

'The ones about how your mother met your father. The ones about him.' He gestured to the man on the bed.

'I don't understand…'

'Look,' Iago continued, becoming annoyed, 'I'll make it easy for you. This man's name is Jafar and he used to be dead.'

'Used to be?' Hana asked, her face becoming pale.

'You brought him back to life princess,' the parrot said, his golden eyes narrowing. 'You brought the old enemy of your family back to life.'


	3. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hmmm. I did my best to capture Jafar's character here; I actually had to watch _Aladdin_ again just to make sure I did it right. I hope his evil!ness is captured here...**

**DISCLAIMER: Again, all characters related to _Aladdin_ belong to D!sney; Faatina and Hana are MIINE. And yes, I know that Iago went with Aladdin's father, but that is going to be explained later. It's not that important right now.  
**

**  
II**

Faatina gazed at Iago blankly for a moment, and then shook her head, her eyes darting to the man lying comatose on her bed. 'Wait. You mean…this is Jafar. _The_ Jafar. The Jafar that tried to kill my parents not once, but twice. The evil sorcerer who's the protagonist in a few of the stories that Genie used to tell me when I was little. _That_ Jafar?'

'Yes!' The parrot exclaimed. 'He _was_ dead when I destroyed his lamp and now…well. What exactly did you do?' He asked, his gaze sharpening.

'Um…' Faatina glanced up at Hana, who looked as though she were going to faint at any moment. 'Nothing, really…all I did was read this thing out loud…'

'In other words, you performed magic,' Iago rolled his eyes. 'I knew it. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone,' he said hurriedly as the princess shot him a venomous look. 'No. When your parents realize he's here…well. You can blame it on me if you want. They can't behead a _parrot_ for reading something out of boredom.'

'Oh no! My parents!' Faatina jumped up from where she sat on the edge of the bed. 'What do I tell them? What will I do when they find out that he's alive? He'll kill them! I've got to do something…' Her brow furrowed in thought. 'We've still got time…he's unconscious…'

Hana slowly walked over to the chair in front of the princess's vanity and sat down, fear overcoming her. Oh, she had heard the stories that the Genie had told them. She had heard what this sorcerer was capable of. And she was not at all comfortable having him in the same room as them, unconscious or no.

'Iago! I've got it. Go to his lair, make sure no one sees you, and you should find a scroll written in our language on a table. Find a spell for protection against sorcery. Since I used magic to bring him back to life, I'm going to use magic to protect myself and my family against him,' the princess told the parrot, who nodded, and flew off.

Silence fell in the room as the two girls simply stared at the still body on the bed. Jafar's breathing was starting to get steadier, which meant that his body was gaining strength. _After all,_ Faatina thought wryly, _I did bring him back from the Afterlife…and that would take a lot out of anyone._ Not knowing what else to do, she decided to take a good look at the man who had once tried to kill her father and rule over the city that she was destined to control. He seemed to be very tall and thin, his skin was tan like her own, and there were dark lines under his eyes, with a small moustache and twisted beard which adorned his chin. He looked almost completely harmless laying there, his eyes closed, his steady breathing barely audible over the distant bustle of the city.

'M'lady…' Hana began, cautiously. 'Perhaps we should turn him into the guards. We don't know if this magic will even work…what if he can counter it?'

Faatina shook her head. 'No. I'm not going to turn him into the guards only for him to die again. I brought him back, so he's my responsibility. I'll make sure he doesn't hurt any of my loved ones, you can be sure about that.'

* * *

_Fire. The fire is growing hotter, and the torment is relentless. I don't know how much longer I can last here in Allah's hell without screaming. But I know if I scream, the pain will be even greater, and Allah's satisfaction is hardly worth that. No. I will not scream. I refuse to scream. _

_Constant torment. Never-ending. Eternal. Oh, Allah. How long will I stay here for what I've done? Was it that blasphemous, was it that terrible? I don't know. _

_I can feel my will breaking. I can feel that wall that I have put up to keep myself strong begin to crumble. My resistance is growing thin, and I can feel a terrible scream, a great cry, beginning to rise in my throat as the flames get hotter, the pain even more unbearable. I can feel it coming, the horrid scream that will let all know that I am damned, that I feel the flames of hell tearing at my soul. _

_But the scream never leaves my lips. The fire fades, and I am being pulled away from their heat. I can feel a cool breeze, and I am moving fast towards…towards what? Where am I going? _

_I stop. I am lying on something cool. Oh, at last. The coldness of a stone floor…its cold texture fills my limbs with relief. Everything is dark and I am too weak to move. I don't know where I am. All is dark._

_

* * *

_

Jafar let out a small groan. He wasn't on a cold floor anymore, he was on something soft and smooth. It was warmer, but the warmth didn't give him any pain. A slight breeze was in the air, and he lay there, relishing it. He didn't want to move, but the sound of a sudden movement made him open his eyes slowly.

Two women. One was sitting in a chair, staring at him, terrified, her hands clutching onto her white robes in terror, her hair falling to her shoulders. Another stood next to the girl, her bangs messy, her hair pulled back with great care, which nevertheless fell past her shoulders to her waist, and the outfit she wore was so familiar…

'He's awake,' the girl with the long hair stated. The other nodded, looking as though she might pass out.

Jafar blinked, and pushed himself up to a sitting position, and looked down at himself. He was wearing his old robes, and he could feel the hat upon his head. The material on his body felt good after being trapped in the fire of hell for so long. He looked around the room slowly, and felt recognition hit him like a slap across the face. This was princess Jasmine's room. Everything was as it was before, except some things were there that weren't before. A new carpet on the floor, some weapons on the walls.

'…It's about time you woke up. I almost thought you were gone for good.' The girl with the long hair approached him, her arms folded.

'Who are you?' he asked, his voice hoarse from not being used in so long, his eyes narrowing.

'I am Princess Faatina, and you are, well, in my bedroom,' she said matter-of-factly. She gestured to the other girl still sitting in the chair. 'This is my handmaiden Hana, and…well, that parrot over there…I'm sure you know him.'

Jafar whirled around to see Iago, his traitorous companion, perched on the bed, smiling sheepishly. Suddenly, a flood of rage and resentment filled him, seeming to come out of nowhere. 'Iago…you traitor!' He growled, and reached out to strangle the now terrified bird.

Iago took off flying, landing on the princess's shoulder. Jafar stood shakily, and grabbed the bird from her shoulder before she could do anything, his teeth gritted, ready to squeeze every breath of life from his body…but his hands would not tighten their grip. He stood there for a few moments, trying to will his hands to crush the bird, but he only remained standing still, his eyes glaring in hatred, holding a terrified Iago in his hands.

'Let him go, Jafar,' the princess said sternly, prying his hands off of Iago, who flew back to the girl's shoulder. 'You can't harm anyone that I love, I made sure of that.'

'What!' He glared at the girl who stood calmly in front of him, her arms folded across her chest.

'Do you honestly think that after accidentally bringing the enemy of my family to life I was going to let you run around killing my mother, my father, my grandfather, and myself? No way. I used magic to bring you back, and so I used magic to make sure you didn't harm anyone.' She pointed to his neck. 'See that lead amulet right there? You can't take it off, and as long as that is on you, you cannot hurt me or my family.'

Jafar glanced down. Sure enough, there was a blood red amulet encased in black lead around his neck. His dark eyes returned to the princess. 'What exactly is going on here?' He asked, his voice slowly returning to its usual old charm.

'Well, like I told you before, I am Princess Faatina, daughter of Jasmine and Aladdin, granddaughter of the Sultan,' she began. 'My father's been trying to get me to marry all these suitors that come around, and I don't like them. So, my handmaiden and I discovered your hidden lair, I found a spell for finding a decent husband, and…well.' She stepped forward, and poked him in the chest. '_You_ were the result. I most definitely wasn't expecting that.'

Jafar took a step backward, his eyes widening. The daughter of his sworn enemy had cast a spell from his lair to find a husband, and she brought him back to life? It was almost as if Allah had planned this from the start, that he should be indebted to his enemy's daughter for rescuing him from hell. _What a cruel joke this is,_ he thought, turning from both of the girls. _Aladdin and Jasmine…so they did get married after all. The Sultan is still alive, Allah knows why; you would think the idiot would have gotten himself killed already. The fruit of your enemy's passions is the very one who rescued you from Allah's torment…and because she was summoning a husband for herself, no doubt. How do I know that she won't turn me over to the guards the first chance she gets? She obviously knows what she's doing if she already took the precaution to make sure I do not harm anyone. _

He turned to the young girl, his eyes narrowing. 'How can I trust you? You are, after all, the daughter of my sworn enemy. I can't trust you just as you can't trust me,' he stated.

'Well,' she shrugged. 'I brought you back to life. You're my responsibility. I recited an incantation to summon a suitor, and whether it was coincidence or not, you're the result. I think I should be responsible for you. Perhaps I'll allow you to court me, but seeing as how my parents would object, I doubt it will happen. So, instead, you will be my sorcerer. Just as you gave advice to my grandfather, you will do the same for me. The only difference this time is that I know what you're capable of.' She smirked.

He gazed down at her scrutingly. 'Seeing as that you are, after all, a member of the royal family and I seem to be at a disadvantage,' he gestured to the amulet, 'I have no choice but to do as you ask.'

A bright smile crossed her face and she clapped her hands together. 'Great! Now, we just have to figure out what to tell my parents…'

A sudden knock on the door caused Hana to give out a little cry of terror. 'M'lady, if we're found out…the consequences will be most horrible! What will we do?' She asked, looking as though she were on the brink of tears.

The knocking continued, and Faatina looked around the room quickly. 'Come here,' she said to Jafar, grabbing one of his arms and dragging him over to her changing screen. 'Hide behind that,' she muttered, shoving him behind it. 'Don't make a sound, don't even move.'

Jafar stood behind the screen, and watched the princess' shadowy outline approach the door. She opened it slowly, but not all the way, and he couldn't tell who was on the other end of the door. He could barely believe what was going on. Everything seemed to be happening so fast, and he felt as if he had no control. _I hate having no control,_ he thought. _But then…I can still use my knowledge. I can still play things into my hands. _

Faatina had opened the door to come face-to-face with her father, Aladdin. 'Oh, hi, father! What's going on?' she asked.

'Just wanted to check on you,' Aladdin said, his eyes scanning the room. 'What are you up to?'

'Oh, nothing really…' She said, determined to not let her father enter the room. 'Hana isn't feeling very well, so I've just been helping her to feel better.'

'Oh! Well, I hope she gets better,' he said, his brow furrowing in worry.

Several moments passed as the princess and her father conversed with one another. Jafar, who was still hiding behind the screen used every ounce of self control to keep himself from leaving his hiding place and finishing what he should have done ages ago…the rage and hatred started to consume him when he heard Aladdin speak, just as it did when he first saw Iago.

After what seemed like ages, Aladdin told Faatina that if she needed anything, all she need do was ask, and then left. Faatina closed the door behind him with a sigh of relief. She had thought he would have demanded to know why she wasn't allowing him inside, and then once she did, he would have noticed Jafar's shadow, and then…_Thank Allah nothing happened,_ she thought.

Jafar emerged from behind the screen, his mind churning, his brow furrowed in thought. _If only I didn't have this amulet…I would have been able to kill him right then and there. But I cannot, because this little royal brat has put a spell on me…wait a moment._ Comprehension seemed to strike him like a lightning bolt, and a twisted smile formed on his lips. _There is a way…I may not be able to kill Aladdin, but I can still cause him pain. Oh yes. Pain beyond all reason, the same torment which I had to endure; for there is nothing more tortuous for a parent than seeing their daughter falling desperately in love with their enemy, being more than willing to become his. Yes, it is all coming together now._

Faatina paced the room. 'Right now may not be the best time to show you to my parents…they're going to find out that you're back eventually, and I'd rather be there when it happens so that way they won't be able to get you killed or anything. We're going to have to wait till tomorrow morning. You're going to have to stay in my room, obviously, because there is no way I'm going to let you go out there. Not when there're guards wandering around. Do you understand?' She asked the sorcerer.

'Of course, princess,' He inclined his head as a sign of respect. 'The thought never crossed my mind. It would be very foolish of me to walk straight into the arms of death when I have only just escaped it. All with your help of course,' Jafar took her hand in his and kissed it, his dark eyes boring into her own as a cunning smile appeared on his lips.

Faatina could feel a strange heat rise in her cheeks as she stared steadily back into his eyes, and a very peculiar sensation seemed to fill her stomach. A strange laugh left her lips as she took her hand away from his, and she turned her back on him. _Oh Allah, what was that? _She thought, regaining her composure as quickly as she could. She had never felt such a thing before, and it had gripped her so suddenly…

'M'lady.' Hana's voice broke through the princess's thoughts. 'May I speak with you for a moment?'

'S-sure,' Faatina stammered, and walked over to her friend, who was still sitting in the chair, her arms still clutching her white robe close around her. 'What is it?' she asked, her voice lowering so the sorcerer could not hear them.

'M'lady, I do not trust him,' Hana whispered. 'He was the enemy of your parents, and thus is the enemy of all of Agrabah. You shouldn't be making him your ally. It would be very unwise to do so.'

'Stop being so paranoid, Hana,' Faatina whispered back. 'I have him under control. Besides…maybe he'll make things around here more interesting, more fun.'

'Please, Faatina, listen to me…I have a terrible feeling about this. You performed magic, something that is blasphemous in itself, and as a result, a most evil man has been brought back from the dead! You do not know what you are doing…' Hana pleaded with her friend.

'Hana, listen to me. I can't save a man from the Afterlife and then just let him die again, can I?. Everyone deserves a second chance, even him. Just trust me on this, okay?' Faatina gave her friend a quick hug and then straightened up, turning back to the older man. 'So…um…welcome back to Agrabah, Jafar. I'm sure things must be different for you.'

He smiled. 'Yes…they are. This was your mother's old room. It has changed a bit, I see,' he commented, striding over to a nearby wall on which hung a sword. 'You seem to have a fondness for weapons, princess.'

'Yes…my father taught me how to wield a dagger when I was young, and when I got a bit older he had the guards teach me how to really wield some weapons. I still practice quite a bit, and have even become better than some of the guards themselves.'

'Quite an accomplishment.'

'I guess…I keep these weapons around just in case any assassins come to call,' Faatina said, reaching up to touch the handle of the sword tenderly. 'This one's my favorite; I have never lost a sparring match while wielding this.' The princess turned from the sword, to glance over to the tall man. 'This was the sword that my father used to fight you, in fact.'

'Then it only makes sense that you should wield it,' he replied. _However, princess, this time, the snake will be the one who strikes at the prey, not the other way around,_ he thought, a cunning smile appearing on his face once more.

* * *

Aladdin entered the gardens, a disconcerted look on his face. The gardens were always kept in the best shape, and the royal family would often come there to sit and think about life and what concerns they may have. This is where he found Jasmine, sitting by the fountain, her long dark hair flowing past her shoulders, the lavender outfit that she was wearing shining brightly in the sunlight. Rajah, the tiger who seemed to be the guardian of all the women in the household, was curled up beside the princess with her head in Jasmine's lap.

Aladdin cleared his throat, and the princess looked up at him, her face breaking into a wide smile. 'I was wondering when you'd find me.'

'I was speaking with your father about the whole suitor problem,' he told her, sitting beside her and scratching Rajah's head affectionately.

'Oh.' Jasmine's smile fell. 'I see.'

'I went to talk to Faatina, but Hana is not feeling very well, so I thought it best to discuss it with her tomorrow, before Prince Muhammed arrives.'

'We can't push her,' Jasmine replied. 'I remember what it was like being her age. All of those suitors…it gets tiring after awhile. Most princes are very egotistical and aren't very interesting. Take it from me, we don't want to rush her. If we do, she might do something drastic like running away. I did that when I was her age. I just didn't want to marry someone I didn't love. And love takes time.'

'Hey,' her husband nudged her playfully, 'if you hadn't run away, we never would have met. Then you'd probably have married that horrible Jafar.'

Jasmine grinned. 'But I didn't, because one brave, smart street-rat stopped him from destroying our future.' She leaned over and kissed him gently. 'I know you're worried, but we just need to let things take their course.'

Aladdin sighed. 'You're right. I just need to lighten up. Who knows, perhaps this prince Muhammed just might be the one to win her over.'

* * *

Jafar watched the people of Agrabah carry on their everyday activities with disdain. None of them could even imagine the pain that he had to endure, none of them could possibly know what it was that Allah had in store for them. They were too simple to understand.

Standing on the balcony, he could still hear the hushed voices of the princess and her handmaiden. _Even the princess cannot imagine how terrible the pain of the fire is,_ he thought, but he was not surprised. One of royalty barely knew any pain, for they had all that they could possibly want; money, love, and power. Oh, the power. He had it for awhile, yes, but he was only able to relish in it for half a day, and then made the terrible mistake of being tricked by that horrid Aladdin, and was enslaved as a genie.

He wouldn't fail this time. This time, things would be different. _This time, I will succeed._ Jafar idly twisted his beard with his finger. Oh, he saw the look in Faatina's eyes and the flush in her cheeks when he kissed her hand. Everything was beginning to fall into place, and he would eventually make her his. The key word being _eventually_, of course. He wasn't going to rush into this. He had to take his time, wait until she warmed up to him, confided in him, let things take its course, and then…he could begin to court her in secret. The princes would continue to come, and she would reject them, because her heart would already belong to another. _And then she will tell her parents…and the look on their faces, the anguish in their eyes when they see her throw her arms around me and tell them that I am the one she chooses…oh, no revenge could be sweeter._

The sound of flapping wings caused Jafar to snap out of his reverie, and he turned to see Iago perched on the edge of the balcony, quite a distance from him; undoubtedly worried that he would try to strangle him again. 'She didn't mean to bring you back,' the parrot muttered. 'It was all a mistake. You were supposed to be dead for good. No one was supposed to see you again, and the only time anyone would utter your name would be when the Genie told her stories when she was younger.'

'I see.' Jafar's tone was cold and emotionless. He had saved Iago from an abusive owner and chose him as his familiar, giving him the gift of human tongue and intelligence, only to be betrayed at the very end, by the only one that he had been able to trust. The anger was greater than the pain, but the pain was still there. He wouldn't admit it, of course. 'So I was merely going to remain a memory.'

'Yes. Although…whatever it is you're planning, don't tell me. Don't tell anyone. I have been around these good chumps for far too long to be able to just sit and watch injustice happen now,' the parrot continued. 'If you want to succeed, keep it to yourself. But…to tell you the truth…I wouldn't mind being your familiar again.'

The sorcerer gave a scoffing laugh. 'Oh, I am quite sure your services will be most useful to me now that you have gained a conscience,' he said with sarcasm. 'No, I will do just fine on my own, thank you.'

Words dissipated between the two comrades as they both gazed out on the city before them. The parrot's feathers rustled slightly in the breeze, and he began to shift uncomfortably. There had been many times when he missed being around Jafar, using their clever minds to concoct ways to gain power and…well, Iago did it solely for the treasure, Jafar did it for the power. He missed those days at times, but all in all he had become quite comfortable with being accepted into the royal family. But now that his old master had returned…he felt torn. He wanted desperately to make things right between them, but knew that it could never be so. Still, so long as he did not know precisely what it was the sorcerer was up to, he would be more than willing to help him.

'Iago…how long have you known the princess?' Jafar asked suddenly.

'You mean Faatina?' Iago looked over at the sorcerer, who nodded. 'Well, I've known her for her whole life. She was pretty annoying as a little kid, but now she's great. I help her think of creative ways to reject suitors,' he said proudly.

'I see…' Jafar muttered. 'Perhaps…you just may be able to help me after all.'

'What?' The parrot asked nervously.

'Not yet…but you will prove useful eventually.' A cruel smile formed on the tall man's lips.


	4. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ha ha! I FINALLY got this chapter done. It was actually 17 pages or something, soooo...I hope this satisfies everyone till I get working on it again. Hope you like...and yes, I know, this chapter is definitely a cliffhanger. **

**DISCLAIMER: All characters pertaining to _Aladdin_ belong to D!sney. Not me. I own Prince Muhammed, Hana, and Faatina. That's all. **

**  
III**

Night had fallen upon Agrabah, the fires flickering from the windows of houses, the starts twinkling above like fireflies, the moon glowing in all of her heavenly glory. Faatina had always thought that Agrabah was at its most beautiful at night, when the air cooled down and the moon cast everything in blue and silver.

She had requested dinner being brought to her room, asking for extra food because she was feeling particularly hungry, and no one questioned her. They all assumed that since Hana was not feeling well, the princess refused to leave the side of her friend. Faatina did not mind at all that that was what they thought. In fact, she had been counting on it, and it was only after locking her door and having a very awkward dinner that she reassured Hana that she would be all right on her own and that she could go and rest. The handmaiden was reluctant to do so, but after the events of the day, she did as she was told, inwardly praying to Allah to protect her friend.

And so, Faatina found herself gazing down at the city from her balcony just as she always did, while Jafar was still finishing his meal. It had been almost comical to watch the older man eat; it was as if instead of being in the Afterlife he had actually been stranded in the desert for weeks and had been starving. But the moonlight had distracted her, and she couldn't resist its call, so she excused herself and let herself relish in how the world seemed so peaceful at the current moment. It was almost as if she weren't a princess, that she was normal like everyone else out in the world, that she wasn't a hopeless shrew, and that she hadn't just brought her family's greatest enemy back from the dead. Everything seemed good and right. That was why she liked the night. It made her feel free and peaceful.

'I see you have fallen in love with the moon as well.'

Faatina jumped slightly, turning to see Jafar standing beside her on the balcony. 'Oh, um, yeah. She's very beautiful.'

'Please forgive me if I may sneak up on you again like that in the future,' he apologized. 'I have a strange gift for doing so unintentionally.'

'No, no, it's all right,' the princess reassured him, her eyes returning back to the glowing moon in the sky. 'I don't really pay attention to anything when I start thinking while looking at the night sky.'

'You find peace while doing so, I assume?' The sorcerer asked.

'Yes. It's the only time during the day when I can actually forget about the fact that I'm a princess and know that I'm a person just like everybody else,' she admitted. 'The people are too simple to even understand that although one may live in a palace and have everything that they wish to have, there will always be something missing. Then again, I don't blame them. If I were them, I'd want to be me too. All of these riches and power.' She paused.

Jafar turned to her. 'I can understand. It must be tiring.'

Faatina smiled. 'Not tiring, just annoying,' she stretched. 'Well, I'm going to retire for the night now, so…you can sleep…um…'

'The chair beside your bed is fine,' he interjected.

'Oh…okay.' The princess turned from the beautiful night sky and the moon, crossing the balcony to her room towards the oil lamps on the walls. She turned the flames down, and approached her bed, pausing for a moment, wringing her hands awkwardly. 'Well…' she turned to the sorcerer. 'Goodnight.' She climbed into bed, trying to ignore the feeling that his eyes were boring into her. The sudden thought of the amulet around his neck gave her comfort, and so she closed her eyes, ready to surrender herself to sleep.

Jafar stood a short distance from her bed, merely observing her as her breathing slowly became calm and steady as sleep overcame her. She certainly was beautiful, he had to admit. Her rambunctious attitude was far more defined than her mother's was, and he could tell it would take awhile to get used to. _Patience, Jafar,_ he reminded himself. _A desert rose with thorns cannot be tamed after only giving it water and shielding it from the sun. No, you must care for it, and clip its many thorns until it is a blossoming flower that you may hold close. _The sorcerer strode over to the chair beside her bed and laid his head against the cool surface of the vanity, never taking his eyes off of her. _Good night, my desert rose,_ he thought as he watched her sleep. _For you will be mine, no matter how sharp your thorns may be.

* * *

_

The Genie could tell that even though Aladdin did his best to hide it during dinner, he was worried about his daughter. From what the comical Genie could tell, Faatina had been acting strangely when her father went to talk to her, and when Faatina acted differently, it was quite hard to not notice. She was so loud, so temperamental, and didn't let anyone boss her around; however, she was a terrible liar at times, and this was why Aladdin motioned Genie to come and speak to him privately on his way to the chambers which he shared with Jasmine.

'She was acting like she was hiding something,' Aladdin told the blue Genie before him. 'I don't like it.'

'It could just be hormones,' Genie said. 'You know how those teenagers are…' His voice took on the tone of a sorrowful, angst-y youth. 'Dear die-ary, my life is so horrible….nobody loves me…woe is me…' He proceeded to cry mockingly into a black handkerchief.

'This is serious, Genie,' Aladdin said, his eyes becoming clouded with concern. 'Something was wrong, and it wasn't just Hana not feeling well. I want you to go and check on her. She's probably sleeping, so that will give you the opportunity to go ahead and take a look around.'

'Al, I don't know…if she finds out…well, let's just say we'll be seeing steam coming out of her ears,' Genie said, twiddling his thumbs nervously. 'I'm not so sure I want to have to face her wrath.'

'Please do this for me, Genie,' Aladdin said, his voice filled with worry. 'I want to find out what's bothering her and help her out before Prince Muhammed arrives tomorrow.'

The Genie gazed at the prince for a moment, and sighed. 'Could I ever resist the face of a worried parent? All right, I'll go take a look and see what's up. But when she finds out…you owe me one, little buddy.' The Genie took off flying out the nearest window, making his way towards the princess's balcony.

He never liked making Faatina mad. He'd rather be on good terms with her. He had watched over her since she was just a baby, and had always been able to make her laugh. Although he never interfered with any of the courtship that went on due to Aladdin and Jasmine's request, he was always there to calm her down after prince-so-and-so left. There had only been a few times in which she had become upset with him. One was when he was telling her and Hana a story, and he had frightened Faatina's handmaiden so badly that she was in tears. The princess was furious that he had made her best friend cry, and yelled at him with such conviction that he couldn't help but admire her and fear her at the same time.

_This time isn't going to be any different,_ he thought. He knew she'd find out. She always did. He reached her balcony, and drew the curtain which separated her bedroom from the balcony slowly. Genie wasn't sure if she was asleep yet, and he certainly did not want her throwing things at him demanding him to get out. Quietly, the blue genie floated over to Hana's chambers, where the girl was sleeping peacefully.

'Huh. That's odd,' Genie muttered to himself. Hana didn't look as ill as Faatina had said she was. In fact, the girl's face was colored just right; there was no sweat on her forehead, and her hands didn't appear to be clammy. 'If Hana isn't ill, then why…?' Genie wondered.

He turned from the handmaiden's chambers and began looking around. There, on a table was the remnants of their dinner, and on a nearby pillow lay the parrot Iago, curled up deep in sleep, snoring. _Well, at least that's normal,_ Genie thought in amusement. He continued looking around and decided that the princess must be asleep, and approached her bed slowly.

_She's so peaceful when she's sleeping,_ the Genie thought to himself. _Everything seems to be right here…she's asleep, the lamps have been turned down, and Jafar is sleeping in the chair next to her bed with his head on the vanity._ He turned to leave the room, and then stopped.

_Jafar is sleeping in the chair next to the princess's bed with his head on the vanity? That's not normal!_ He thought, glancing back. His jaw dropped as the realization hit him. _Jafar. Jafar is alive. You've got to be kidding me. No way. He's dead. _ _My mind must be playing tricks on me! _

Feeling distinctly unsettled, Genie approached the supposed sleeping figure of Jafar. As he got closer, he could hear the man breathing slowly, and no matter how many times he blinked, the chair refused to become empty. 'Oh my…' he covered his mouth to keep himself from crying out in shock, zipping out of the princess's bedroom as fast as he could.

_Aladdin is going to be so angry when he finds out,_ he couldn't help thinking. _Oh, Faatina, please get a good night's rest…because you are not going to like what's going to happen in the morning.

* * *

_

Someone was pounding on the door. They were pounding so loud that it brought Faatina out of a deep dream she was having of flying on the magic carpet; flying all over the world, being free, not having to go back to Agrabah. Her auburn eyes fluttered open, and she stretched, sitting up slowly, the last remnants of sleep beginning to float away like clouds in the sky. Sunlight streamed through the windows and the balcony, and the familiar distant bustle of the city was carried to her ears on the soft breeze in the air.

Whoever was at the door was still pounding on it, and Faatina was beginning to become irritated. _What can they possibly want?_ She thought, rising from her bed and striding to the door.

'Faatina! I demand to be let in at once!' Her father's voice from the other side of the door sounded furious, and the princess backed away slightly, thankful for the locked door between them. 'I know he's in there! You can't hide him forever!'

_Who…?_ The princess wondered, but when she looked over back to her bed, she knew. Jafar was seated in her chair, his head resting on the surface of her vanity, obviously still asleep. 'Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no,' she whispered, rushing over to the sorcerer's side, shaking him by the shoulder. 'Jafar. Jafar, wake up!' She hissed.

Jafar stirred, blinking from his sleep, turning towards her with a look of slight confusion on his face. The pounding on the door became more violent, and suddenly sleep cleared away to reason as he saw the expression on the princess's face. _He knows,_ the sorcerer thought, his face darkening.

'Jafar, you've got to hide,' Faatina whispered, grabbing one of his hands, pulling him towards Hana's chambers, Jafar following without protest. They entered the room, and the princess strode over to her handmaiden's wardrobe, pulling it open without hesitation. 'Get in.' He did so, asking no questions as the pounding was replaced by the sound of someone – guards, no doubt – attempting to break the door down. 'Be quiet as you can. If they find you…don't worry. I won't let them kill you.' She shut the doors, and Jafar shifted uncomfortably in the confined space; he had to lean slightly forward due to his height, and he couldn't help but feel doubtful as to the fact that she could persuade her father not to sentence him to death.

Hana stirred from her bed, mumbling, 'What's going on?' She rubbed her eyes, and Faatina felt a giant surge of guilt for her actions. She hadn't meant to get Hana messed up in all of this, hadn't meant for her to be an innocent bystander with what had happened.

'Hana…I'm so sorry,' Faatina whispered. The young girl's eyes widened as the slamming against the locked door became louder. 'They know. I'm so sorry for getting you involved in this, I didn't mean to…'

'No, m'lady, it's all right,' Hana murmured. 'If you are to be punished, I would want to be punished beside you.' The two friends gazed at one another for a moment, Hana rose from her bed, both entering the princess's chambers, Hana holding Faatina's hand tightly in fear.

The door finally gave way, and Iago, who was still sleeping on a pillow, woke with a loud squawk, and flew to Faatina's shoulder as guards rushed in, followed by Aladdin, who looked as though he would very much like to kill something, an apprehensive Genie tagging along behind him. 'Let me guess…' Iago muttered. 'They found out.'

'Hold your tongue, Iago,' Faatina whispered. 'Let me take care of this.'

The guards had their hands on the hilts of their swords, their eyes darting around the room as if the entire place was wired with booby traps. They remembered Jafar and what he was capable of, and the fact that the sorcerer was supposed to be in the room somewhere made them feel uneasy.

Aladdin approached his daughter, his rage apparent. 'Where is he, Faatina?' the prince asked through gritted teeth.

'I don't know who you're talking about,' she replied coolly, determined to stand her ground, no matter how angry her father became.

'Stop playing games with me; I _know_ he's in here!' Aladdin said, his voice rising. Faatina said nothing, refusing to back down. 'Very well then,' her father said, and turned to the guards who immediately came to attention, their personal fears being pushed from their minds.

'Search the room, including the handmaiden's chambers,' Aladdin ordered, and they did so, beginning to look underneath the beds, going through cabinets and other nooks and crannies that the sorcerer may have hidden in.

'I know you are hiding him,' Aladdin stated, his voice lowering. '_Why?_ Why would…how could…?'

The princess still said nothing, and she could feel a distinct chill run down her spine as she heard the guards' cry from Hana's chamber, and felt a lump begin to grow in her throat as two guards dragged Jafar into the main room, a look of absolute fury on his face which seemed to deepen as he saw Aladdin.

'Well, well, if it isn't the cowardly snake Jafar,' Aladdin said, a triumphant smirk on his face as he approached the sorcerer. 'I have no idea how you were brought back to life, but after I sentence you, I promise you that you will never be able to see the sun, moon or stars ever again. Your only company will be those who are evil like yourself, trapped forever in the Afterlife.'

Jafar's eyes narrowed. 'You talk big, boy, but can you really go through with your threat?'

'After what you've done to me and those I love? Oh, I can guarantee it,' the prince answered.

'I wouldn't be too sure about that,' Jafar hissed, tearing his eyes from his enemy to look over at Aladdin's daughter meaningfully. The prince turned, and if the guards had thought Aladdin looked furious when he found out Jafar was alive, it was nothing compared to the look of anger on his daughter's face.

Faatina strode over to the two guards who held Jafar by the arms, her jaw clenched with determination. 'I demand that you let him go at once! What you are doing is absolutely unfair.' The guards glanced at each other nervously, and turned to Aladdin, who had a look of bewilderment on his face.

'Unfair? What are you talking about?' The prince demanded. 'This…this man tried to kill me, your mother, and your grandfather more than once! The only thing he wants is to rule over Agrabah and wouldn't hesitate to kill all of us to achieve that!'

'He can't hurt you!' Faatina shot back. 'I made sure he wouldn't! See that amulet around his neck?' The princess pointed to it. 'He can't take it off, and so long as he has that around his neck, he can't hurt anyone I love. I love my family, and so he can't hurt you. It wouldn't be fair to kill someone who can't even defend themselves.' She turned to the guards. 'I order you to release him at once!'

The guards shifted uncomfortably, and Aladdin shot them a look that clearly told them to keep their grip on the sorcerer's arms. The princess smirked, her hands balled into fists by her sides. 'Well…it seems my point hasn't come across,' she said, suddenly bringing one of her fists back and punching one of the guards across the face. He fell staggered backwards, releasing his grip on Jafar. The other guards cried out, but the princess merely strode over to the other guard who still held the sorcerer's other arm and kicked him in the groin with no hesitation. The guard stumbled, clutching his groin with a look of utmost pain on his face.

Jafar stared at the princess who now stood in front of him protectively. _That was an unexpected surprise,_ he thought. He believed that she would have only protested and that in the end he would have gone straight to the executioner's block, but he certainly hadn't expected her to use force against her very own guards, who now were standing quite a distance from the sorcerer. He straightened his robes with a smug smile on his face. _Things certainly are playing into my hands, aren't they?_

'Faatina…please…you can't trust him…' Aladdin pleaded with his daughter. She stared back at him defiantly.

'You can't touch him or hurt him! He's my advisor now. I am sick and tired of all of these suitors coming around who go on and on about themselves, and how beneficial it would be for me to marry them because their kingdoms have so-and-so, and how that will somehow make Agrabah better than it already is. No. I need someone who can tell me if their kingdoms really are as great as they say it is, someone who can help me read between the lines and see their true intentions. That's why I asked Iago for help,' the princess told Aladdin.

Iago, who had been perched on her shoulder in amusement and had to keep himself from cheering the princess on when she punched and kicked the guards, quickly caught onto her story. They had had to make up lies before as to why she had turned different princes down, and he felt a small surge of admiration for how fast she was able to come up with a plausible story. Even though she was a horrible liar overall, for some odd reason she seemed to be able to tell this lie as if it really were the truth.

'I told her about Jafar's extensive knowledge,' the parrot spoke up. 'He has traveled to many places, many kingdoms. "If anyone can help you, it's Jafar," I told her.'

Faatina nodded. 'I knew he was dead. I remembered the stories Genie told me when I was little. So I prayed to Allah, asking him to please bring Jafar back to life, so that way he may seek redemption by assisting me. And then…he just sort of appeared.'

_He's never going to buy it,_ Jafar thought as he saw the skeptical look on the prince's face. But to his surprise, Aladdin gave a sigh of defeat and ran a hand through his hair. 'Very well,' Aladdin muttered. 'You're too stubborn to back down; I know you too well. I will…tolerate his presence here for the time being. But as soon as you choose a suitor, he will most certainly be banished, do you understand?'

Faatina nodded. 'Yes. Father…how did you know that he was here?'

'I asked Genie to go and check on you while you were sleeping.'

The genie, who had been hovering over Aladdin's shoulder and trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, gave a short laugh, a nervous smile on his face. _Oh Allah, she's going to kill me,_ he thought. _If not now, then later._

'It was for your best interest,' Aladdin said. 'Please, Faatina, don't do this…if it's an advisor you want, I can summon a holy man from Baghdad-'

'My only wish is to serve you, princess,' Jafar interrupted, bowing to her in respect. 'I will use all of my knowledge to assist you with this… suitor problem.'

'Thank you,' Faatina said to the sorcerer. 'Now, if you'll excuse us father, we're going to go and eat breakfast.' She began to stride out of the room, Hana following her in silence, Jafar not close behind.

As soon as they left, Aladdin gave a cry of frustration. 'Curses, Genie, the only reason he's so willing to help her is because she's protecting him. I can't persuade her to change her mind; she's too stubborn. There's nothing I can do, and he knows it!'

Genie gave him an uneasy smile. 'Well…maybe we'll get rid of him sooner than we think; after all, Prince Muhammed is on his way here as we speak. He just might win Faatina's heart, and then you can banish him!'

'No…' Aladdin's brow furrowed. 'No, Jafar's not going to let Faatina get won over so easily. If anything, he's going to prevent it from happening.' The prince turned to the guards. 'I want you to watch him. Watch what he says; watch what he does, especially around my daughter. He may not be able to kill us, but if he is to act against us through my daughter, we'll be able to catch him in the act before he can strike. I don't trust him, not one bit.'

* * *

A smile spread across Faatina's lips as she walked down the hallway. 'Nice going, Iago. That was a close call.'

'No kidding,' the parrot agreed, ruffling his feathers in obvious relief.

'M'lady…I think that lying to your father was uncalled for,' Hana murmured.

'It was necessary,' Faatina stated. 'Remember what you said yesterday, if anyone found out that I had performed magic, the consequences would be fierce. I don't think telling the truth would have helped our situation at all, in my opinion.'

'Lying never did anyone any good,' her handmaiden continued,

'Oh, I don't know. If it's to help others…I would consider it a good thing.' Faatina glanced over her shoulder at the sorcerer, who still wore the smug smile. 'Don't you agree?'

'Perhaps. Princess, I must say…I underestimated you,' Jafar said smoothly. 'It's not everyday that you see one raise a hand to their own guards.'

'Like I said, it was necessary,' she repeated, pausing abruptly. They were mere feet from the dining hall, and seated at the table were the Sultan and princess Jasmine. Faatina swallowed the nervousness that crept in her stomach. She knew what Jafar had done, and knew that her grandfather and mother would be most unhappy to see him alive. Defying her father was one thing, but doing it to her mother and grandfather? She had a close relationship with both of them, which only seemed to increase during this difficult time for her.

_No. I must be strong. Strong like my parents, strong like the Sultan and the Sultana was,_ she thought, her expression turning from one of nervousness to the utmost confidence. She strode into the dining room, her head held high, Hana trailing nervously behind her, Jafar bringing up the rear.

'Ah, Faatina, you're awake!' The Sultan turned to greet his granddaughter cheerfully. 'You know, the Genie came in this morning and spoke to your father, and he just went storming off! Do you have any idea…why…?' His voice faltered as his eyes fell upon Jafar.

Jasmine looked up from the wine she was drinking and dropped her glass, her eyes widening in shock. She thought she would never have to see that horrible man's face ever again. The one who had caused so much pain to her and Aladdin, the one who once wanted nothing more than her father's throne, who wanted to once make her his…and here he was, standing behind her only child, a malicious smile spread across those terrible manipulating lips.

'Faatina…what is the meaning of this?' Jasmine asked, slowly rising from her seat, ignoring the wine which had spilt on the table and floor.

'Mother, I am tired of having suitors come who expect me to believe everything they say about their kingdom. They talk about how they can make Agrabah better, when our kingdom is more than likely better that theirs! I needed someone who could tell me about these kingdoms and what the princes true intentions are all about. So, I prayed to Allah for an advisor to help me choose a suitor which would benefit me and Agrabah, and Jafar came,' Faatina lied, her voice full of conviction and determination. 'You cannot harm him; the amulet around his neck forbids him to do so. Allah made sure that we would be protected.'

Jafar stepped forward. 'I have nothing but the best interest for your daughter in mind, your highnesses,' he bowed. 'I live to serve her.'

'Jafar, you are a vile betrayer! You would do nothing but use her for your own ends and when you have no need for her anymore you would dispose of her!' The Sultan cried, enraged. 'I refuse to have you use my granddaughter, the future and hope of all that is good in Agrabah for your own cruel ends!'

Jasmine strode over to her daughter, taking her by the hand and pulling her away from the sorcerer. 'I also will not allow you to use my daughter, my only child. There is only one fate for you, Jafar, and that is death.'

'I highly doubt that, your highness,' the sorcerer murmured. 'Would you kill a man who has done no wrong yet? Who has already been punished for his previous sins? Who cannot defend himself against you since Allah forbids it to be so?'

Faatina pulled herself away from Jasmine's protective grasp. 'Mother, you can't kill him. Please, trust me. I know what I'm doing! I have everything under control. I prayed for an advisor, and I received him. He's my responsibility. Please…just trust me.'

A moment passed when the four of them gazed at one another in silence. Faatina, her eyes pleading; Jasmine, her expression full of a mother's worry; the Sultan, his lips quivering in disbelief and rage; and Jafar…

_The treacherous snake, his eyes full of a cunning I have never seen before,_ Hana thought. _He's up to something._ The handmaiden stood off to the side, watching in silence as two wills bent against one in a battle for supremacy. Finally, when it seemed that the silence would engulf them all, Faatina turned away, motioning for her companions to follow her. They left the room without saying a word, and Hana looked back at the Sultan and princess. Jasmine's gaze caught her own, and she mouthed the words 'please watch over her', praying that the handmaiden would understand.

* * *

The sorcerer and handmaiden followed the princess through winding hallways, not speaking to one another. They walked, their footsteps echoing along the walls. _I can't believe that old fool is still healthy and well…and Sultan for that matter!_ Jafar thought in disbelief as he walked. _I would have thought he would have been ill and on his death bed by now! No matter. I won't let the presence of these three fools stop me. I am smarter, more cunning this time around. I know how to strike where it really hurts._

His thoughts were interrupted as they approached a set of closed doors which were guarded by a pair of menacing looking imperial guards. They gazed at the small group wordlessly, opening the doors and allowing the company to pass through. Jafar's eyes widened in amazement as the doors shut with an ominous thud behind them. The room which they were in was quite large, full of treasure from top to bottom. There were numerous objects laden with gold, rubies the size of a small bowl, emerald pins in the shape of leaves, sapphires carved in the shape of animals, diamonds embedded in clothing, rich tapestries hanging on the walls…these were treasures beyond even his wildest dreams.

'This is my family's treasure,' the princess stated, a tone of amusement in her voice as Iago gave an audible sigh and flew over to the nearest stack of treasure. 'The object we are looking for is around here somewhere…' The princess led the stunned sorcerer and obedient handmaiden to the back of the room, where a chest carved from jade sat closed. She bent over it and opened it, removing the object from within with great flourish, closing the chest.

Jafar's amazement quickly faded as he stepped forward in disbelief. Faatina held within her hands his golden staff, the source of all of his magical power. The head of the staff was carven in the shape of a cobra's head, its mouth opened in a never-ending hiss, its eyes blood-colored rubies. 'That…why do you still have this?' He asked, stunned.

'My mother told me that they had tried to destroy it, just as they did your previous one, but it didn't work. I thought you'd like to have it…that it would make you feel less vulnerable.' The princess handed the sorcerer the staff. 'I trust you. I know you won't hurt me or my family…mainly because you can't.'

The sorcerer didn't care if he was unable to hurt Aladdin or the Sultan. He felt more like his old self holding the staff in his hands. '…Thank you,' he murmured. He realized, suddenly, as she merely smirked back at him, that she could have very well refused to return the staff to its rightful owner, but she knew that he could not hurt her or her family, and she knew he wasn't foolish enough to try. 'Yes, thank you,' he repeated.

Faatina shrugged. 'I figured that if you can still perform magic, you might as well do it and help me at the same time.' She began walking towards the doors once more. 'Come on, Iago, let's go. I'm itching to go and duel with some guards…'

Iago left the treasure with a longing groan, not wanting to abandon the beautiful jewels and shining gold, but nevertheless fluttered back to the princess's shoulder, Hana trailing silently behind her, Jafar clutching the staff in his hands. He didn't know if his ability to perform magic had been stripped of him since he had been brought back from the dead, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to try…

'M'lady!' Hana suddenly cried out, alarming the other three. Hana had been very quiet so far, and hearing her cry out surprised all of them. 'Prince Muhammed is arriving today! We must make sure that you're presentable for him!'

Faatina turned to her friend. 'No. I am through with making myself look good for these egotistical princes. If they don't like what they see, then they and their kingdoms included aren't worth much anyway.'

* * *

Prince Muhammed was certainly not like the other suitors. His arrival was not full of bragging splendor; there was no loud musical accompaniment to his arrival, there were no gifts to be brought. He simply arrived with two other attendants, his skin so brown it looked as if it were leather, a thick beard adorned his chin, and his lips seemed to remain in a constant frown. In fact, Aladdin couldn't help observing, he looked as though he hadn't smiled in years. He seemed to be young, but with a beard that thick…it was hard to tell.

The prince entered the palace, his eyes taking in the size of the throne room, the marble, the throne, and the red tapestries which hung on the walls. His outfit was a dark blue color and very modest, a turban adorning his head.

'Welcome!' The Sultan greeted, optimism filling his face like always. 'Welcome to Agrabah, Prince Muhammed.'

'Salaam,' the Prince replied, bowing. His voice was deep and clear, one that clearly meant that he was not exactly the most outgoing individual. 'I have traveled a great distance to see your beautiful land and princess. I would very much like our kingdoms to combine as one. I believe it would benefit both of us.'

'Of course, of course. But you must understand, that is all up to my granddaughter,' the Sultan said cheerfully, rising from the throne.

'Oh…I see.' Prince Muhammed's frown seemed to deepen, if it were at all possible. Aladdin cleared his throat and stepped forward. 'I am Prince Aladdin, the father of the princess Faatina, and this,' he gestured to Jasmine, who stood nearby, 'is Princess Jasmine, my wife.'

'Pleased to meet you, your highnesses,' the prince bowed once more, and his brow wrinkled in discontent as his eyes fell upon Jasmine.

'Speaking of Faatina, where is she?' The Sultan asked, looking around. As if on cue, the blue genie appeared out of nowhere, in the guise as one of their servants. 'Your most esteemed highness, the princess is currently practicing in the battle arena,' the genie said with great flourish.

'Ah! This will be quite the treat for you, Prince Muhammed; Faatina is quite the swordswoman!' The Sultan declared, rising from the throne and leading them towards one of the corridors. 'Come, let me take you to my granddaughter.'

The others followed, an awkward silence hanging in the air. 'Where exactly do you hail from?' Jasmine asked, doing her best to be polite and friendly, hoping that he would show some signs of being interesting. She knew that if this is what he was like all the time, Faatina would reject him at the drop of a hat. _This courtship might not even last a day,_ she thought.

'I come from Falujah,' Prince Muhammed answered. 'It is a holy city.'

'I see,' the Princess murmured. Silence fell throughout the adults once more, and Jasmine reflected back on what she and Aladdin had concluded about the fact that Jafar was now back from the dead. Aladdin told her what Faatina had said to him, and although they did not trust Jafar at all, they were willing to go on a limb and trust their daughter. It took awhile to convince Aladdin, however, who was certain that Faatina was mistaken about her blinding trust in the sorcerer. Jasmine, however, thought differently.

'She's almost eighteen,' she had told her husband and father. 'We force all of these suitors on her and she's very confused. She probably wants to choose someone that will please us, but she doesn't want to be married to someone who won't make her happy for the rest of her life. I know that we can't trust Jafar. I'm not saying we should. But maybe she'll gain a new perspective on things, and learn that not every prince is all that bad. Maybe she just needs a little push in the right direction.'

'Are you seriously saying that Jafar can push her in that direction?' Aladdin had demanded.

'In a sense, yes. You know just as well as I do that he's going to point out all of the negative things and do everything he can to make sure that she does not marry any of these suitors. But in the process of pointing out the negative things…people fall in love with each other, and some of the things that they most love about one another are their flaws,' Jasmine continued. 'Her heart might be softened, and eventually she'll find someone that she can identify with.'

Aladdin and the Sultan agreed reluctantly to stay out of Faatina's way, but only on the condition that someone keep an eye on her at all times. Aladdin even proposed that they have Hana tell them what Jafar might say to their daughter, but Jasmine forbade it, saying that it would hurt Faatina in more ways than one if she ever found out. Hana would come to them if something was wrong, she reassured them. The handmaiden was a good girl, and if trouble were ever to arise, she would come to them.

The sounds of sword fighting brought Jasmine out of her thoughts as they entered the room where the guards practiced their fighting. The floor was marble like always, and an odd assortment of spears, knives, daggers, swords, and maces hung on the walls. There was another area of the palace where they practiced archery, but this was where the hand-to-hand combat took place. A circle was painted on the floor, and it was within this circle that Faatina was fighting with a young guard who had recently joined the ranks. Basel, the oldest member of the guard who had served the Sultan even before Jasmine was born, stood off to the side, giving comments when needed.

'Watch your footing,' Basel said, reprimanding the younger guard for stumbling slightly. He spotted the Sultan entering the room and headed over to them. His skin was tan just like everybody else, and numerous battle scars adorned his body. He miraculously had a head full of graying hair, and a warm smile that always had given Jasmine the impression that he was more of a big brother than the commander of the imperial guard.

'Your highness.' The old guard bowed before the Sultan. 'You were looking for your granddaughter, I'm assuming?'

'Yes…and may I say, Basel, your training sure has pulled off! This is Basel,' the Sultan introduced the older man, who bowed his head in respect. 'He is the commander of the imperial guard and has served me for many years. This is Prince Muhammed,' the Sultan gestured to the prince who merely nodded, surveying the room skeptically. 'He is yet one of the many suitors to come to court Faatina.'

Basel laughed. 'Good luck with this one!' He pointed to Faatina, who was busy parrying the guard's blows, blocking every move he threw at her. 'She's like a cobra. She seems tame at first but as soon as you make her mad…' He turned back to watch the two fighting just in time to see the guard cut Faatina's hand, causing her to drop her sword. He kicked her legs from under her, smiling triumphantly at the beaten princess lying on her back. Faatina scowled, and kicked the young guard in the groin, getting up as the poor boy dropped his sword in shock, whimpering in pain.

'…And she knows where to strike exactly where it hurts. She seems to be doing that quite a bit today,' the older man murmured, striding over to the young man to see if he was all right.

Aladdin and Jasmine glanced over at Prince Muhammed, whose eyes seemed to darken with an expression of the utmost discontent on his face. Faatina strode over to the wall, placing the sword she had been using back in its place, and spotted her grandfather and the others standing nearby. _Oh great…here we go again,_ she thought.

The Sultan clapped enthusiastically. 'Excellent work, my dear, you were fantastic!'

Faatina grinned and bowed, heading over to Hana, who stood silently nearby with a bowl of water and a cloth. 'M'lady, you're bleeding,' she murmured, dipping the cloth in the water.

'It's nothing, really. I'll be fine,' she reassured her friend, taking the cloth and dabbing at her sweaty forehead. 'Besides…I don't want to worry mother and father; they'll be forbidding me to fight if I make too big a deal out of it.' She glanced over to her parents who were striding over towards her, followed by an enthusiastic Sultan and…

'Is that Prince Muhammed?' Faatina whispered to Hana.

'It must be…he certainly looks like a prince,' her friend whispered back.

'He looks so…angry,' she pointed out.

'Maybe that's just the way he looks?'

'It's possible. But I doubt it.'

'Faatina, you were wonderful,' Jasmine greeted with a smile. 'Just don't work yourself too hard, okay?'

The princess was still slightly upset at her parents due to their confrontations that morning, but as soon as she saw her mother's smile and the pride in her father's eyes, all of her anger and bitterness was swept away like the sands of the desert. 'Okay,' she murmured, pulling her mother into a hug.

'I trust you,' her mother whispered.

'Thank you,' the princess whispered back. They broke the embrace and turned to the Sultan, who had begun talking like there was no tomorrow in the only way a grandparent can about their grandchild.

'Basel has taught her everything he knows,' the old Sultan was saying. 'She has excellent marksmanship at archery, and can punch like a man! If assassins were ever to arrive, she'd be able to take care of them before the guards even arrived!'

Aladdin gave a short laugh. 'Prince Muhammed, this is our daughter, the princess Faatina,' he gestured to the young girl who gave the best smile she could manage.

'Salaam, princess,' Prince Muhammed bowed, his expression only becoming more unhappy by the moment.

'This is my handmaiden, Hana,' Faatina gestured to her friend. 'I-'

'Faatina, you're bleeding!' the Sultan cried out suddenly, rushing forward.

The princess glanced down at her hand, the clean cut bleeding freely. 'Oh, that? It's no big deal, really…' She wiped her hand on her red pants hurriedly.

'I will take care of it.' The deep, manipulative voice echoed off the walls, and Jafar emerged from the shadows of the room as though he were a part of them, Iago perched on his shoulder.

Faatina gave a short laugh. 'No, I'm okay, I don't need anything-'

'Just let me take care of it. We don't want their royal highnesses worrying,' he murmured impatiently, reaching inside his robes to pull out a vial which contained small pieces of a dark green plant. Jafar opened the vial and poured a small amount of the plant into one hand, handing the vial to Hana who stood nearby. 'Just a moment,' he murmured, crushing the plant in his hand. He took the cloth from Faatina and squeezed it, causing a few small droplets of water to land on the crushed plant in his hand. He gave the cloth to Hana, pressing the strange remedy in his hands, and then proceeded to apply it to Faatina's injured hand.

'This plant will stop the bleeding,' he told her. 'Just keep it on for a few minutes and you'll be fine.'

'…Thank you,' the princess murmured, glancing up at the sorcerer momentarily. Looking away quickly, she fought to resist the heat that was threatening to fill her cheeks again.

'Who is this?' Prince Muhammed asked, gazing at Jafar shrewdly.

'This is Jafar, my royal vizier,' Faatina said quickly, before the Sultan or her parents could say anything. 'I realized after awhile that I didn't know a lot about the other kingdoms even though I have had quite a bit of schooling, so I sent for a holy man from Mecca. He is here to advise me on whether or not it would be beneficial for our kingdoms to combine through marriage.' Jafar bowed to the prince, his sinister eyes gleaming.

'Well, then, with all of that settled…' the Sultan clapped his hands together. 'Why don't we let Faatina and Prince Muhammed talk with one another?'

* * *

Birds were singing in the garden of the courtyard as Prince Muhammed and Faatina walked side by side. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the garden was full of jasmine, oriental orchids, lilies, freesia, and anthriums. Fountains were placed here and there, offering the plants relief from the merciless sun.

'I had hoped that I could have talked to the Sultan about our marriage, but apparently you do things differently here in Agrabah,' Prince Muhammed murmured. His voice was deep and it sounded as if it were rolling out of his stomach.

'Yes, we do. It wouldn't be very fair to me if no one asked me for my opinion, would it?' Faatina asked.

Prince Muhammed ignored the comment. 'I believe it would be very beneficial to our kingdoms if we were to wed. Agrabah receives plenty of water during the rain season, but my kingdom of Falujah does not.'

'Isn't it nice outside today?' the princess asked, ignoring the prince's impatience to get to the point. She wanted to savor the good weather while it lasted. With the rain season approaching, it would become cloudy and the sun wouldn't come out from behind the clouds as often.

'Yes, yes, it is,' the prince muttered impatiently. 'But as I was saying…' His voice drifted off and he turned around abruptly to find Jafar trailing not far behind them. The prince grinded his teeth in annoyance. 'Does he ever leave your side?'

'Oh, Jafar? No, not really. He's a big help, actually…' The princess gazed at her hand which still had the strange paste upon her cut tenderly.

Prince Muhammed cleared his throat as they came to a stop in front of a large fountain, where Faatina proceeded to sit down on the grass. 'As I was saying, princess…it would be beneficial for both of our kingdoms to…' The prince was interrupted as Jafar strode quickly to the prince's side, clearing his throat. 'What is it?' The prince snapped.

'What do you mean by "beneficial"?' Jafar asked.

'We barely get any water during the rain season, and drought season is almost over. My people are going to need water,' Prince Muhammed replied coldly. 'If the princess and I do not marry in time for rain season to begin, my people will be without barely any water. And it only becomes worse when many of my subjects prepare for their pilgrimage to Mecca.'

'But, prince Muhammed,' Faatina began, 'the rain season is when my grandfather stores water for _our_ people, so that way they're not dying of thirst during the drought season. If you took some of that water away…that would mean that people here would start dying.'

'Excellent point, princess,' Jafar muttered in approval, his brow furrowing in thought. _Falujah…I have been there before…_

'Surely you can spare some water?' the prince asked. 'My people have it hard enough as it is, and I would hate to think that just because of your…naiveté you caused the deaths of many people.'

_Oh, don't try to pull the whole guilt thing on me,_ Faatina thought. 'Well, it's your own fault for not taking care of your people. You're their prince. You could have come here at any time to ask for water. But you didn't. So don't blame your people's misfortunes on me…especially when we've just met,' she snapped.

_Clever girl,_ Jafar thought, a smile beginning to form on his face. 'Princess, you shouldn't feel any guilt whatsoever. After all, Prince Muhammed hasn't been entirely truthful. You see…' Jafar turned to the prince, his dark eyes gleaming with cunning. 'Falujah is located right next to the Euphrates River. During rain season, the river fills up and is quite plentiful. There is no reason that his people should be deprived of water.'

Prince Muhammed's face flushed in anger. 'Well. It seems that you have chosen your advisor well, princess.'

Faatina smirked. 'Thank you, Jafar,' she said to the sorcerer. 'Well, prince Muhammed, I see no reason as to why I should marry you. I would appreciate it now if you would please leave so that way I may enjoy the rest of this nice sunny day in peace.'

* * *

Jasmine, Aladdin, and the Sultan had congregated in the room that led to the garden, waiting for Faatina to return with Prince Muhammed, a smile on their daughter's face, her cheeks flushed as she told them that she had chosen him. It was a far-fetched hope, but each of them had their fingers crossed.

Of course, the scream of rage that came from the gardens let them know that that hope was one that could never be. The three adults rushed out into the garden, following the path to find Faatina rolling in the grass in laughter, Jafar with his staff raised, and Prince Muhammed, who…

'What is the meaning of this?' Aladdin demanded angrily. Prince Muhammed was climbing out of the fountain, muttering incoherently under his breath, his clothes soaking wet, and leeches of all sides adorned his neck, hands, and, judging by the way he was clawing at his clothing, the rest of his body.

The furious prince turned to Aladdin, his face flushed with rage. 'This palace is cursed!' He yelled. 'This entire household is a blasphemy to Allah!'

'Please, Prince Muhammed, I'm sure Faatina didn't mean-' Jasmine pleaded.

'No!' He pointed to the princess, who ceased in her laughter after seeing the look on her parents faces. 'I refuse to marry a woman such as this! She speaks without being told, doesn't even wear a veil, and has a man of the devil working for her! I refuse to wed a woman so out of line as your daughter is!'

'Please, reconsider-' the Sultan began.

'NO! This woman will NEVER be wed!' He practically screamed, striding away as fast as he could towards the doors. 'Good day!'

Faatina rose from where she sat on the grass as the three adults looked at her sternly. 'Um…I'm…sorry?' she said weakly.

'You better be,' Aladdin muttered.

'But look, he wanted to take a lot of the water that we get from the rain seasons, but he lives next to this really nice river, and he was lying, so I called him a leech, and then he said that he wasn't, and then I said that I don't like to be leeched off of, so I told Jafar to show him how it felt, and…' The princess trailed off.

'You should have been more considerate,' her father reprimanded.

'Your highness, it was merely what prince Muhammed deserved. He obviously did not care for your daughter whatsoever,' Jafar spoke up.

'I do _not_ want to hear a word out of you,' Aladdin hissed to the sorcerer. 'Faatina,' he began. 'I know you did not like Prince Muhammed, but what you did was rude, and I do not want you to give our kingdom a bad reputation.'

'A bad reputation?' Faatina asked incredulously. 'Is that what you think? That I am giving our kingdom a bad reputation just because of who I am? I'm sorry, father, but if that is how you feel, then you're just going to have to make Hana the princess and marry her off, because that seems to be the kind of women that all of these men ever ask for.' With that, she strode towards the doors, Jafar following her in silence.

'You were too harsh with her,' Jasmine murmured. 'Prince Muhammed will be fine. He comes from Falujah…they have over 200 mosques there. He wouldn't be her husband even if we wanted it to be. It wouldn't have worked. They are too different.' She laid a gentle hand on Aladdin's arm. 'Please, try to have patience with her. So much has happened today…just let her be.'

Aladdin turned away from his wife, refusing to speak.

* * *

The day seemed to drag on forever to Faatina. Prince Muhammed left just the same as he had arrived, with no spectacular fanfare proceeding in front of his caravan. Faatina was personally glad to see him leave. Hana tried striking up conversation as they headed towards the training rooms again, but the princess didn't say a word to her friend. She spent the rest of the day fighting with her sword, practicing hand-to-hand combat, and shooting arrows with her bow. She did not wish to speak to anyone as thoughts kept churning through her mind. She took out her anger through her fighting, and Hana and Jafar could only stand off to the side and watch.

Dinner was silent; the members of the household barely saying a word to one another. The Sultan tried to strike up friendly conversation, but to no avail. Aladdin was still fuming over the way his daughter had behaved, Faatina was still indignant for what she had said and done, and Jafar did not say a word, for he knew his life was on the line so long as Aladdin was angry.

After the meal was finished, everyone headed towards their own chambers. Jafar began to follow the princess, but was pulled back by his shoulder roughly by Aladdin. The sorcerer turned to the prince, who glared up at him with the utmost dislike. 'Your chambers are next to my daughter's. There are guards outside your doors. They are going to take note of whoever goes in and out. If I find out that you have gone into my daughter's chambers late at night, you will die. Do you understand me?'

'Perfectly,' the sorcerer murmured, continuing on his way.

'Good,' he heard the prince mutter as he strode to catch up with Faatina. The sorcerer, princess, and handmaiden neared her chambers silently, Iago perched on Jafar's shoulder. The parrot had been up in a tree during the whole Prince Muhammed fiasco, enjoying it from the comfort of the branches, laughing heartily to himself. Of course, his laughter silenced as soon as the Sultan, Jasmine, and Aladdin came into view, but he still found the whole situation amusing. The red and blue bird, however, was now keeping his mouth shut with effort. None of them seemed to be in the mood to talk, and he thought that saying anything would only result in one of them lashing out at him.

Faatina paused in front of her bedroom door and turned to her three companions. 'Hana…could you please head straight to your chambers? I wish to speak to Jafar in private…and take Iago with you,' she murmured. The handmaiden nodded, and as they entered the room she headed towards her chambers obediently, Iago fluttering behind her. Faatina waited until she heard the shut of Hana's door, and then motioned Jafar to follow her to the balcony.

The moon was out again, gracing Agrabah with her presence, and Faatina desperately tried to find some peace within her own mind. The words which Prince Muhammed had yelled that morning echoed within her thoughts, and as hard as she might try to not let them affect her, it stung her inwardly as if she had been slapped across the face. What he said had hurt her feelings, but she refused to let it show.

'…The moon is not giving you comfort tonight, is she?' Jafar asked abruptly, his dark eyes observing her carefully. The princess merely shook her head. He could tell by her body language that she was feeling especially fragile, and if he just waited till the right moment, he could put his plan into action. 'Your highness, are you all right?'

'…No,' she murmured, turning to look at him. 'You don't have to call me "your highness" all the time. You can call me Faatina when there are no guests around. I don't care.'

'As you wish…Faatina,' he murmured. The two descended into silence, both of them gazing at the sky and the city stretched out before them, a cool breeze on the air, ruffling the sorcerer's cape and the princess's dark hair.

'I can't believe the nerve of him!' Faatina burst out suddenly. 'I can understand Prince Muhammed saying those things, but…my own father agreeing with him? Who in their right mind would do that!'

'Perhaps your father is misled in thinking that your…energetic personality might cause others to think that your kingdom is weak,' Jafar murmured. 'However, I believe that to be false. There is a kingdom to the west whose leader is a woman. They are very powerful and strong.'

'It just…' the princess let out a cry of frustration. 'No matter what I do…even when I act all proper and polite, I always screw up. I keep thinking that maybe Hana should be the one receiving these suitors and not me.' She folded her arms and turned her back on the city. 'Sometimes I don't even want to be the future ruler and just be left in peace…I shouldn't have said that,' she muttered. Faatina turned to look at Jafar, who was now watching her once more. 'Thank you, though, for what you did. It was uncalled for, but…I haven't laughed like that in awhile.'

The sorcerer nodded. 'Of course. It is, after all, my duty to make sure suitors such as Prince Muhammed do not give you a false impression.'

Faatina smiled vaguely. 'You know…maybe I'm not the one who should change…maybe it's the suitors. I shouldn't change who I am. I just need the right kind of suitor to come along. What do you think?'

'I believe that may be true,' Jafar murmured.

'So tell me, my advisor,' Faatina said. 'What kind of suitor do I need?'

Jafar twisted his beard between his fingers thoughtfully. He certainly wasn't expecting a question such as this. But then again, he could use the situation to his advantage. 'Well…I believe you need someone who is just as strong as you, someone that can recognize that you are certainly not someone to be underestimated just because you are a woman.'

'Yeah, I like the sound of that,' the princess agreed, idly taking a step closer to him.

'The suitor should be respectful, and admire you for your traits. Not put you down because of them,' he continued. The princess inched even closer to him so that she was now standing right in front of him. He did his best to focus on the advise he was giving her instead of how close her body was to his, how she kept getting closer, so close…

'He should also, and this is most important, be able to please you…it shouldn't matter what your parents think, so long as you are happy…' He gulped, edging backwards to the balcony, trying to ignore the fact that she had an odd gleam in her eye and had taken a hold of the front of his robes. 'A suitor…'

'…like you,' she whispered, stepping on her tip-toes and pressing her lips to his in her very first kiss.


End file.
